Musical instrument.



PATENTED AUG. 28, 1906.

F. s. BRASOR. MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED SBIT.19. 1905.

- UNITED STATES.

PATENT oEE oE.

FREDERICK! SU NER BRASOR. or MARIETTA, omo, ASSIGNOR or ONE- THIRD 'roFRANK ASHLEY PILCHERAND ONE-THIRD T SAMUEL .s.

: PORTER, OF M ARIETTA, OHIO.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Specification. of Letters Patent. application 9d September 19,1905;Serial No. 279.119.

Patented Aug. 28, 1906.

T0 dllwyhohti it may concern:-

"Be itiknown that I, FREDERICK SUMNER Bimsoma citizen of the UnitedStates, residr t'rol and preferably is applied throughout the wholerange of instruments which are in any wise mechanically struck orexposed to presi sure in orderto produce tones. In using. the

rinciple in a iano-player o erated by a perihrated roll I ave a box wita middle board down its length, a valve in this middle board for everynote that is to be played, and a tube to the corresponding pneumaticfrom every valve. Upon the middle board I rovide suction and below themiddle-boar I provide blast.- I then run tubes oneway to the trackerboard to control the valves and, as already stated, from the valves tothe pneumatics to control the ke -strikers.' By this 39 means I amenabled to ghspense with all the primaries and their accompanyincomplications which are found in many 0 the piano and organ players inuse prior to my application. It is my intention tov have high and 5 lowpressure in the suction-box of my main movement all the time, providinga stop action-and valves controlled thereby to let one or the otherpressure into the said box.

I My invention willbe fully understood from the accompanying specificdescription anddrawing,.in which the figure shown is a sectional viewthrough the suction and blast 'boxes and showing in full lines the valvein normal or unv'ented position and in dotted lines the valve in theopposite or vented po-.

sition.

Referrin to the drawing, which illustrates the princip es of myinvention, 1 represents a rectangular box divided into two: comartments- 2 and 3, which will be'desi ated ereinafter asthe suction. andast boxes. These boxesjor compartments are separated by a" partition 4,w fch' is provided with a recess 5, which connects b narrow openings 6and 7, respectively, wit 1 the suction and blast boxes and in which atwo-part valve 8 is adapted to operate, one part to close the conduit10, which connects the aperture 5 andtube 9. At theopposite end of thetube 9 is a pneumatic 11 of any suitable type reed, or striker, as thecase may be.

The blast-box is provided on its inside with a dia hragm 12, to which isconnected a rod 13'an which in turn is connected to the valve 8. Thecompartment 14, whichis made 'by this (liaphragm,'has communication withthe blast-box 3 by bleeding-duct 1 5 and is connected to the key ortracker board 16 by a tube 17, the function of-Which will be describedlater on. I

The numerals 18 and .19 represent, res ectively, the suction and blastpipes w 'ch make communication with the suction and blast boxes 2 and 3from the suction and blast bellows.

It will be clearly understood that I may use the diaphragm 12 on theoutside of the suction-boxes and have the suction and blast boxtransposed. This construction would make the operation the reverse ofthat'shown and the diaphragm 12 would be normally.

collapsed instead ofex anded.

In the operation of t e device, thevalve 8 is normally made to close theopeningfi by reason of the blast of air from the i e 19 working back ofdiaphragm 12 throng leeding-duct 15. Now when the tube 17 and the comartment 14 are vented at the key or Mac er board the blast incompartment against the diaphragm more than equals the pressure exertedon the valve and the diawhich is adapted to operate upon the pipe,

phragm is depressed, carrying with it the valve-rod 13 and valve 8, thusclosing the opening 7, and cutting off the blast to the pneumatic 11 andallowing the air thereinto 1 e sucked out. This action is very rapid,and

:the pneumatic is closed with a snap. When the .105

I iaphragm is returned its normal posi ion, the blast in chamber 3,acting through the bleeding-duct l5, restores the valve to its normalposition.

'lhe operation in an instance where the blast and suction boxes arereversed as to the pos tion. shown in the figure would. be the same asregards pneumatic ll but the normal position of diaphragm '12 would bethe opposite to that shown in full lines in the figure. When thetracker-board is vented by reason of one of its ports coming incommunication with an aperture in the note- 1. A device of the classdescribed comprising a suitable source of pressure, suction means, asingle pneumatic connected to said pressure and said suction means,means for controlling said pressure and said suction, and means foralternately releasing the pressure and suction whereby they can actsucccssively 0n the pneumatic.

2. A device of the class described comprising a suitable source ofpressure, suction means, a pneumatic having a single connection withsaid pressure and said suction, a prossuremperated device, and a valvecontrolled by said pressure-operated device whereby the pressure andsuction are adapted to alternately act on said pneumatic.

3. A device of the class described comprising a suitable source ofpressure, exhaust means, a single pneumatic directly connected to saidexhaust and said pressure, a pressureoperated diaphragm, and adouble-acting valve connected to and operated by said diaphragm wherebyit is alternately operated to admit pressure and allow exhaust.

4. In an automatic piano-player, the combination with a suitablereceptacle, of pressure means connected to said receptacle, exhaustmeans connected to said receptacle, a hollow partition dividing saidreceptacle, exhaust and pressure ports in said partition, a valveadapted to alternately close each port, and means for automaticallyoperating said valve.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination with a suitablereceptacle, of pressure means connected to said receptacle, exhaustmeansconnected to said receptacle, a hollow partition dividing saidreceptacle, exhaust and pressure ports in said artition, a valve adaptedto alternately c ose each port, and a pressure-operated diaphragmconnected to said valve and adapted to oper-' ate the same.

6. In a device ofthe class described, the combination with a suitablereceptacle, of pressure means and exhaust means both connected to saidreceptacle, a partition dividing said receptacle, exhaust and pressureports in said partition, a valve adapted to control the pressure and theexhaust, a pressureoperated diaphragm connected to said valve andadapted to operate same, and a single pneumatic operated by saidpressure and said exhaust to alternately expand and contract as thevalve is operated.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.I

FREDERICK SUMNER BRASOR.

Witnesses:

A. D. FoLLE'r'r, S. B. HOOPER.

